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Windows Live Essentials 2011 release notes

General release notes Family Safety Mail Messenger Movie Maker Photo Gallery Windows Live Mesh Writer

Windows Live Essentials 2011

This page provides late-breaking or other information about Windows Live Essentials 2011.

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What operating system do I need to install Windows Live Essentials 2011?

All of the Windows Live Essentials programs will run only on Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit editions), Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit editions) with Service Pack 2 (SP2) and the Platform Update for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2008 with SP2 and the Platform Update for Windows Server 2008.

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you're using Windows XP, we recommend that you upgrade to Windows 7.

Windows Platform Update is required to install on Windows Vista

If you're installing Windows Live Essentials on Windows Vista, you might see a message asking you to install the Platform Update for Windows Vista. This update includes two components that are required before Windows Live programs can be installed on a computer running Windows Vista, and you won't be able to install unless this update is present. The required components are the "Windows Graphics, Imaging, and XPS Library" and the "Windows Ribbon and Animation Manager Library."

To install these updates, run Microsoft Update from Control Panel and install any available updates. Then, try installing Windows Live Essentials again.

Windows Live programs may crash on some ATI/AMD video cards if you’re also using Internet Explorer 9 Technical Preview or Windows 7 SP1 Beta

Due to an underlying issue with some ATI/AMD video card drivers, installing Internet Explorer 9 Technical Preview 3 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta can cause some Windows Live programs to crash or hang, particularly Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Mail.

If you installed Internet Explorer 9 Technical Preview, you’ll need to uninstall and reinstall an update:

  1. In Windows Control Panel, under Programs, or Programs and Features, click Uninstall a program.

  2. In the left pane, click View installed updates.

  3. In the list of installed updates, select KB 2028560, and then click Uninstall.

  4. Go to An update is available for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 which provides new functionality and performance improvements for the graphics platform and install the updated KB 2028560.

If you installed the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta, try updating your ATI/AMD video card driver by using one of the following links.

Animated GIFs and emoticons are turned off in software mode

If your computer uses software rendering instead of hardware rendering, you won't see any animations in Windows Live.

This includes animated GIFs used in display pictures and animated emoticons in Messenger.

Screen readers might be affected by changes in Windows Live Essentials

This release of Windows Live Essentials uses Direct2D and DirectWrite technology for rendering, and compatibility with screen readers might be affected.

Microsoft is working with screen reader vendors to resolve this problem.

If Live Mesh beta is installed, it will be uninstalled when you install Windows Live Essentials

Live Mesh beta is being replaced by Windows Live Mesh 2011. Windows Live Mesh 2011 doesn't work with Live Mesh beta. For more information about upgrading from Live Mesh beta, see What is Windows Live Mesh?

Movie Maker and Photo Gallery must be installed together

Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Photo Gallery can only be installed together because they share many components. That means that if you have an earlier version of either Movie Maker or Photo Gallery installed on your computer, you'll have both programs installed after you upgrade to the new versions.